The simplest way to move bookmarks between computers

The fastest method is to sign into your Google Account on the new computer. When you open Chrome and log in with the same Google Account you used on your old computer, Chrome automatically syncs your bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions to the new machine. This happens in the background within a few minutes — you do not have to do anything else.

If you use the same Google Account across devices, this is already happening. Your bookmarks are stored in your Google Account, not just on one computer. Signing in on a new computer straightforward downloads them to that machine.

If you do not want to use your Google Account, or if you are setting up Chrome on a computer that will use a different account, you can export your bookmarks as a file and import them on the new computer. This takes about five minutes and works even if the two computers are not connected to the internet at the same time.

Key Takeaways

  • Signing into your Google Account on a new computer automatically syncs all your bookmarks within minutes — no export or import needed.
  • If you export bookmarks as an HTML file, you can import them into Chrome on any computer, even one that uses a different Google Account.
  • Exported bookmark files can also be imported into other browsers like Firefox or Edge if you are switching away from Chrome.
  • Your bookmarks remain in your Google Account even after you export them, so exporting does not delete anything from your old computer.

How to sync bookmarks using your Google Account

Open Chrome on your new computer and click the profile icon in the top right corner — it looks like a circle with your initial or a generic person silhouette. Select "Sign in" from the menu that appears. Enter the email address and password for the Google Account you used on your old computer, then follow the prompts to complete sign-in.

Chrome will ask whether you want to sync your data. Make sure the checkbox next to "Bookmarks" is checked, then click "Sync" or "Turn on sync" depending on your Chrome version. Within a few minutes, all your bookmarks from your old computer will appear in the Bookmarks menu on the new one.

If you have already signed in but bookmarks are not showing up, go to the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select "Settings," click "You and Google" on the left side, and check that "Sync is on." If sync is off, click "Turn on sync" and select your account again.

Exporting bookmarks as a file

On your old computer, open Chrome and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Hover over "Bookmarks" to open a submenu, then click "Bookmark manager." A new tab will open showing all your bookmarks organized in folders.

In the Bookmark manager, click the menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner of that tab. Select "Export bookmarks" from the dropdown. Your computer will open a "Save As" dialog asking where you want to save the file. Choose a location you will remember — your Desktop or Documents folder works well — and click "Save." Chrome creates an HTML file containing all your bookmarks.

The file will be named "bookmarks_[date].html" or similar. This is a plain text file that any browser can read. You can email it to yourself, save it to a USB drive, or upload it to cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox so you can read it on your new computer.

Importing bookmarks on the new computer

On your new computer, open Chrome and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Hover over "Bookmarks" and click "Bookmark manager." In the Bookmark manager tab, click the menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner and select "Import bookmarks."

A file browser window will open. Navigate to the HTML file you exported from your old computer — if you emailed it to yourself or saved it to cloud storage, read it first to a folder you can find easily. Click the file to select it, then click "Open" or "Import." Chrome will read the file and add all the bookmarks to your new computer.

The imported bookmarks will appear in a new folder called "Imported [date]" in your Bookmarks menu. You can move individual bookmarks or the entire folder to other locations by dragging and dropping them, or by right-clicking and selecting "Move to" from the menu.

What happens to bookmarks on your old computer

Exporting bookmarks does not remove them from your old computer — the export process creates a copy. Your original bookmarks stay exactly where they are in Chrome on the old machine. You can export the same bookmarks multiple times if you need to.

If you were using Google Account sync on your old computer and you sign out of that account, your bookmarks remain in Chrome on that computer. They stay in your Google Account as well, so you can access them on any other device where you sign in with the same account.

If you plan to stop using your old computer, you do not need to do anything special with your bookmarks. As long as you have synced them to your Google Account or exported them to a file on your new computer, they are safe.

Moving bookmarks to a different browser

The HTML file you export from Chrome can be imported into Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and most other browsers. The process is slightly different for each browser, but they all look for an "Import" or "Import bookmarks" option in their menu or settings.

In Firefox, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select "Bookmarks," then "Manage Bookmarks." Click the menu icon in that window and select "Import and Backup," then "Import Bookmarks from HTML." Choose your exported Chrome file and click "Open."

In Microsoft Edge, click the menu icon (three dots) in the top right, select "Bookmarks," then "Import bookmarks." Choose "Chrome" from the list of browsers, select the HTML file you exported, and click "Import." Edge can also import directly from Chrome if both browsers are installed on the same computer.

Troubleshooting bookmarks that do not appear

If you signed into your Google Account but bookmarks are not showing up, check that sync is actually turned on. Go to Settings, click "You and Google," and look for "Sync is on" at the top. If it says "Sync is off," click the button to turn it back on and select your account.

Sync can take several minutes, especially if you have many bookmarks. If bookmarks still have not appeared after 10 minutes, sign out of your Google Account in Chrome (click the profile icon, then "Sign out") and sign back in. This forces Chrome to re-sync your data.

If you imported bookmarks from an HTML file and they do not appear, check the "Imported [date]" folder in your Bookmarks menu. Imported bookmarks always go into a separate folder rather than mixing with existing bookmarks. You can move them to your main Bookmarks folder by dragging and dropping, or by right-clicking the folder and selecting "Move to."

If the import did not work at all, make sure you are using the correct HTML file and that it came from Chrome on your old computer. Files exported from other browsers may not import correctly into Chrome. Try exporting your bookmarks again from your old computer and repeat the import process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to export bookmarks if I am using the same Google Account on both computers?

No. If you sign into the same Google Account on your new computer, Chrome automatically syncs your bookmarks within a few minutes. Exporting is only necessary if you are using a different Google Account or if you do not want to use account sync.

Can I import bookmarks from Chrome into Firefox or Edge?

Yes. Export your bookmarks as an HTML file from Chrome, then use the import feature in Firefox, Edge, or another browser to read that file. Each browser has a slightly different import process, but they all accept Chrome's HTML format.

What if I lose the HTML file after I export it?

If you exported bookmarks and then deleted the file, you can export them again from your old computer. Your bookmarks are still in Chrome on that machine. If your old computer is no longer available but you signed into your Google Account on your new computer, your bookmarks are still in your Google Account and will sync automatically.

Will importing bookmarks create duplicates if I already have some of the same bookmarks?

Chrome does not check for duplicates when you import. If you already have a bookmark for a website and you import a bookmark for the same website, you will end up with two copies. You can delete duplicates manually by opening the Bookmark manager, finding the duplicate, right-clicking it, and selecting "Delete."

Can I export bookmarks from Chrome on a Mac and import them on Chrome for Windows?

Yes. The HTML export format works the same way on all operating systems. Export from Chrome on your Mac, transfer the file to your Windows computer (by email, cloud storage, or USB drive), and import it using the same steps described above.